Chapter 40

Idiot, if the fog was thirty times more chakra-infused, this technique might have worked, but trying to catch a sensor off guard like this? He won't last long now, though - the paralyzing poison used is absorbed through open wounds, so I'll wait a little longer and then I can finish him off.

BABAH!!!

The sudden explosion followed by the memories of the destroyed clone made me change my plan of action. Anbushnik was wounded by the second kirinin and took advantage of the moment to stab Kanade in the back just as she was about to get her chunin out of Willow. The clone barely had time to switch with her with the help of Kawarimi before the two bastards finished her off. Next thing you know, a little surprise and a couple of properly mangled carcasses are in store - bunshin bakhatsu rules. Yeah, if I'm going to be able to patch up the wounded, I'm going to have to stop messing around with my opponent.

After fending off a couple more attacks and moving a bit to the side, I waited for the right moment and just caught the shinobi in the shadows. Given my slowed down movements, it was a simple matter.

- What?! What the hell?!! - he exclaimed as he froze in his swing.

- Ninpo: Kage Mane no Jutsu," I said quietly.

- Nara? What the f*ck!

- Hairy! - I replied and with one swing, I blew the swordsman's head off.

I shook the blood off the blade in one swift motion and put the katana back into its scabbard, releasing the headless body from the shadow trap. The unsupported fog was already beginning to clear and I was able to determine the position of the wounded without any problems. The freshly created clone went to Hyuga, who was less injured, while I hurried to the Anbushnik, who was getting the full brunt of the damage. The second clone ran to finish off the still-living jonin, who was sluggishly cowering on the ground not far from the crater. He was a tough one! The Chunin was almost torn in half, but this one had all his limbs intact!

When I arrived, the masked man was lying on his back and moaning weakly, clutching the huge wound that almost separated the man's right shoulder from his body. A couple more minutes and he wasn't alive. Having stopped the main blood loss by clamping the artery and large vessels, I injected the wounded man with painkillers, disinfectants and strengthening agents from the first aid kit, after which I put him to sleep and started cleaning the wound, connecting the shattered bone fragments and splicing the damaged tissues.

I had done it so many times before that I could heal stab and cut wounds with my eyes closed and in the middle of the night. It took me half an hour, during which my almost unscathed partners managed not only to collect the trophies and the heads of the nuke-nins, but also to drag the bodies into a pile, pouring earth oil on them and then setting them on fire. The clone had also finished treating the mentor, healing a solid hole in her back and moving her closer. Man, if she'd had a better Byakugan, she might have seen the stab in the back.

- How's he doing? - The kunoichi asked, wrinkling her shoulders in pain.

- He'll run home on his own, but he'll be off active duty for at least a couple weeks," I sighed, wrapping bandages around his shoulder and hanging the bandage around his neck.

Poking my finger into my forehead above the mask, I woke the Anbushnik. To his credit, he didn't jump up and look around, but assessing the lack of pain and restraints, simply lifted his head and looked around. I took some blood-restoring pills out of the first aid kit and made him swallow them, drinking water from the flask.

- What's wrong with the nuke-nin? - was all the shinobi asked.

- Dead, and we should get back," I answered, helping him up and listing the contraindications for the near future.

Nodding, the masked man moved his hand gently, making sure that it was working, nodded to me and in a few jumps disappeared among the leaves. Well, we have our jobs, and he has his. But I remembered his chakra. After waiting for Kanade to speak quietly with his partners, I took the scroll with my nuke-nin's heads from the remaining clone and tucked it into my pocket. I wonder how much they get for them, and if the dead deserters are wanted.

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